Essential Tips to Help Prevent Common Oral Emergencies

Posted May 31, 2016.

There is a wide array of oral emergencies such as biting your tongue or lip, getting something stuck in your teeth and gums, or damaging the enamel on one or more of your teeth. Should any of these things befall you, it could lead to serious and costly complications and restoration services.

Even though you cannot always prevent an oral emergency from happening to your mouth, there are a few essential tips KC Smile Doc offers to help you prevent some common oral emergencies or to at least be better prepared when one occurs.

You should consider stocking your first aid kit with a few common oral health care items like waxed floss, salt packets, and topical oral analgesic. Having these basic items on-hand will help you offer fast first aid when an oral emergency does happen.

It’s worth noting that bad habits like chewing on pens and pencils, crunching on ice, and using teeth as tools are all common causes of oral emergencies. Curbing these bad habits will greatly reduce your chances of having something bad happen in your mouth.

It’s a good idea to always wear a mouth guard while participating in contact sports. Depending on the sport and your personal preference, our dentist can help recommend the right mouth guard for you.

Grinding your teeth at night can result in chips and fractures on the biting surfaces of your teeth. It could even cause TMJ disorder in the joints of the jaw. A custom night guard, fitted by Dr. J. Richard Burch, will fit comfortably into your mouth, allowing you to sleep easy and prevent further damage.

If you have questions about other ways you can help prevent oral injuries and emergencies, you can call our office at 816-822-0990 to set up a consultation.